Connector bodies for electrical connectors used in automotive wiring harnesses have included terminal lock nibs and flexible beams that are fixed at both ends to secure electrical terminals into the terminal cavities of the connector bodies. An example of such an electrical connector may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,396,255 issued to Morello, et al. on Jul. 8, 2008. However, as the features of these connector bodies are scaled down to accommodate smaller terminals, e.g. terminals less than 1.5 millimeters (mm) several problems are observed. The lock nibs of connector bodies manufactured of unreinforced thermoplastics may be sheared off by forces exerted by the terminal that are less than the terminal retention force required by automotive standards set by automotive manufacturers or organization such as the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). The lock nibs of connector bodies manufactured from glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics may have sufficient shear strength to meet terminal retention requirements; however the flexible fixed beams of these connector bodies are too stiff to provide an acceptable insertion force for inserting the terminal into the terminal cavity. The present invention provides alternatives to and advantages over the prior art.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.